America's love affair with the Smarty Jones story spilled over into huge television ratings on the weekend, with NBC Sports' coverage of the 136th Belmont Stakes in New York producing the biggest audience for the race in 27 years.
NBC's coverage delivered a 13.4 rating (27 per cent audience share), the best Belmont overnight rating since a 15.4 and 47 per cent share for Seattle Slew's Triple Crown-clinching victory in 1977, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The ratings represented a 29 per cent improvement over Funny Cide's failed Triple Crown bid last year, which had been the best Belmont overnight figures since the arrival of people meters in 1987.
'It was America's love affair with Smarty Jones that got us the highest Belmont rating in 27 years,' said Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics. 'I am incredibly proud of the telecast, but more importantly the opportunity after the race to show what I think was the best display of grace and sportsmanship by both winners and losers that I may have ever seen at a sports event. America could learn a lot about sportsmanship from what happened in the 15 minutes after the race.'
Veteran British handler Clive Brittain, who brought Warrsan to the SAR last December and took third prize in the $14 million Hong Kong Vase, was in celebratory mode last Friday when the gelding won the Coronation Cup (Gr 1) at Epsom for the second time.
Guided by former Hong Kong club jockey Darryll Holland, Warrsan rallied on the outside from well off the pace to grab the lead from High Accolade approaching the final furlong before pulling away for a comfortable 13/4-length victory.